Bottle-tester.



L. B. JACKSON.

BOTTLE TESTER.

APPLICATIO.N FILED MAR. 9. 1916.

1 204,664. Patented Nov. 14; 1916.

, 4 gwvcn 1oz I G Hozucq LYNWOOD B. JACKSON, 0F ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. I

BOTTLE-TESTER;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LYNWOOD B. JaoxsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Asheville, in the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, haveinvented,

certain new an useful Improvements in Bottle-Testers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,-clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

The invention relates to a device for test ing bottled beverages, The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and acompara tively inexpensive device adapted to enable bottled beverages to be thoroughly examined and handled with greater rapidity than has heretofore been possible with work of this ,lffp'rovide a bottle tester of this character character-and without danger to the operator or liability of injuring his eyesight.

A further object of the invention Is to adapted to completely expose a plurality of bottles to the action of the light and capable of automatically cutting off the light from the eyes of the operator when the bottles are removed.

Anotherobjeetof the invention is to agitate the contents of the bottle during the inspection thereof so that the syrup contained in the bottles will be thoroughly mixed with the water so that the condition of the con-- tents may be clearly seen as well as whether the bottles contain anv foreign matter.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and. pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it bein understood that various changes in the form,- proportion and minor details of construc- "tion may be resorted to without departing from the splrit or sacrificing any-of the advantages of the invention. n

, In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bottle tester constructed in ac cordance with this invention, Fig. 2* isa vertical transverse sectional view of the same, Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the bottle tester. Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing'in which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 14, 1916.

Application filed March 9, 1916. Serial No. 83,140.

illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottle tester comprises in its construction a casing composed of a bottom 1, front and rear walls 2 and 3 and side walls or end walls 4.

The bottom is preferably constructed of wood and the walls are made of heavy sheet metal but any other suitable material may of course be semployed in the construction of the casing. The front and rear walls 2 and 3 are'provided with arcuate upper portions 5 and 6 located at diiferent elevations, the rear arcuate portion being higher than the front arcuate portion. The side or end walls have inclined upper edges 7 which extend forwardly and downwardly to the front arcuate portions 5 from therear arcu ate portion 6 and the said side or end walls also support a horizontal pivot 8 consisting of a rod located at the rear portion of the 4 casing and piercing the said walls 43 and also end flanges 9 of a top 10. The .top 10 which is also provided with curved ,or arcuate front and rear flanges 1 1 and 12 is adapted. to swing downwardly from the elevated-position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings to the dotted line position shown in the same figure to arrange a plurality of-bottles 13, in a'n'inclined position for causing an agitationof the contents of the 'bottles and for also exposing the same more completely to the view of the operator whereby the contents of the bottles may be completely inspected. The top 10 which is adapted to swing upwardly and downwardly on the horizontal pivot 8 is provided with a plurality of openings 14 preferably four in number so that the operator using both hands may conveniently place four bot-' tles on the tester and remove the same from the tester simultaneously. The top is normally supported in an elevated positionby' a coiled spring 15 secured to the rear'wall of the casing and to the pivoted top 10 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The spring 15 swings the' top upwardly to the elevated position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing as 'soon as the ,bottles'are removed and the light from a lamp 16 is thereby out off from the eyes of the operator. Also the openings 14: which conformto the configuration of the bottles are entirely covered by the same so that even when inspecting the contents of the bottles, theeyes of the operator are not exposed to the direct'glare of the lamp 16.

veniently arranged upon a stand, table or other suitable support and the bottlesare removed from a case conveniently placed f 'lamp' is' mounted in a socket 23 and the front of-the tester. Four bottles may be tested at each operation of 1 the tester and the contents of the case maybe more "thor oughly examined in less "time than is p'ossi-i ble when the bo-ttlesare held up two'at'a time" in front of an ordinary electric light which is the method ordinarily resorted to in bottling establishments.

The present invention is designed particularly for inspecting bottles containing soft drinks or non-alcoholicLb'everages although the tester may be used for.analo-' gous purp sesfIt is customary infilling carbonated or other water. 1 Any glass or bottles with non-alcoholic beverages or soft drinks to first place in the bottle an ounce of syrupand then fill'the bottle-With the extraneous-matter will collect in the syrup I and it isneces'sany to agitate the contents of the bottle in "order to properly inspect the same. bottles-are placed in position upon'lthe top'. of the tester, the latter swings-downwardly to the position illustrated-in 'dottedllines inFig. 2 of the drawing-{under the -weight of the bottles and the contents of the bottles are automatically agitated. so that the bottles. may be thoroughly inspected. Inthe downward swinging of theitop thebottles are partially in- .verted and the pivot is located adjacent. to the bottoms of the bottles.- Also the. pivot-. ing of the top at the side as shown permits a relatively great sWingor movement of the.

top: tojelfect the desired agitation of ,the contentsof the bottles. Should it be desired however to operate with the-top of the tester in afixed position it may be locked in the dotted line; position by means of the pivoted hook or catch 16 securedby a rivet.

17 or other suitable fastening. device to the rear wall of the casing and adapted'to-be swung upwardly into engagement with the rear-I'Jedge of the curved flange 12 to prevent thetcp from being elevated by the spring 15. The top ispreferably provided with a rubbermat 18 having openings 19 conforming to theconfiguration-of the apertures of the top. The mat is preferably provided with a checkered or roughened surface but it may be of any desired construction as .Will be readily understood.

The-l 'p "16 is preferably an electric lamp and in orderto prevent water from dropping through the casing on-to theycon-f ducting wires 20, the casing is provided at the topwith a transparent plate 21 of glas's or other suitable material; arranged at an inclination. and extending downwardly and forwardly-withits front end in flush relation with the upper edge of the front wall 5 to permit the water to drain ofi' exteriorly of the casing. The glass is supported by a flange. 22 preferably formed by angle strips secured to. the inner faces of the front wall and the" 'si'de or end walls. The electric and enable the top to be swing upwardly -beyond the. o'sition illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2 ,o the drawings. This will permit the removal of the glass 21and will afford access to the interior of the casing.

What is claimed is 1. A bottle tester. including a casing provided with an interiorly arranged lighting device, a pivotally mounted top having openings and adapted to receive a plurality ,ofbottles to enable the same to be exposed to the light, said top being adapted to swing downwardly to an inclined position under theiweight of the bottles, agitate the contents of the same and means for automatically lifting the top when the bottles are removed. I

2. A bottle tester including a casing provided with an interiorly arranged lighting device, a pivotally mounted top having openings and adapted to receive a plurality of bottle's'toenable the same to be exposed to the light, said top being adapted to swing downwardly to an inclined position under the weightof'the bottles to agitate the contentsjof the same, 'a spring connected with the top for automatically'lifting the same, and means for locking the top in an inclined position against'the action of the spring.

3. A bottle tester including a casing provided with an interiorly arranged lighting device, a pivotally. mounted top having openings and adapted to receive a plurality of bottles toenablethe same to-be exposed to the light, said top being adapted to swing downwardly to an inclined position under the weight of the bottle, 'a spring connected with the top forautomatically lifting the engage-the top for locking the same in an inclined position. i 7

' 4. A bottle tester includingafcasing havingan ,interiorIy arranged lighting device,

a tppextendin over the casing and pivoted at 165 rearportion-to the same and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly to ar- .range it in an inclined position and to elevate it therefrom, said top being provided with a plurality of openings and adapted to expose bottles to the action of the lighting device and agitate the contents of the said bottles and a transparent plate arranged curved walls, a top having front, rear and end flanges andfitted over the casing, said top;being pivoted at its rear portion to the casing and having its front and rear flanges curved and arranged in spaced relation with the curved walls of the casing, said top being provided with a pluralityof bottle receiving openings to enable bottles to be. exposed to the light contained within the casing and to cause the bottles to swing downwardly and agitate their contents.

., 6. A bottle tester including a casing having front and rear walls provided with curved portions arranged at difi'erent eleva: tions, the rear wall being higher than the front wall, a supporting flange located within the casing and set at an inclination, a transparent plate arranged upon the supporting flange, a top pivoted to the casing and having curved front and rear flanges arranged contiguous to the curved portions of" the front and rear walls of the casing,

said top being provided with bottle ,receiv- .ing openings, whereby the. topis caused to swing downwardly under the weight of the bottles to agitate the contents of the latter, and a light mounted within the casing.

7 A bottle tester including atop havinga bottle receiving opening conforming to the configuration of the bottle and means for pivotally mounting the 'top at one end of the opening adjacent to the bottomof the bottle wherebythe top is caused to swing downwardly under the weight of the bottle to invert the same and agitate 'thelcontents thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYNWOOD B. JACKSON, Witnesses: i

O. RANKIN, J. S. DAVIS. 

